Tod, wait, this didn't really happen, right? Scared me to death, that explosion in the Ace Hardware. I loved this whole piece, even the scary part. So honest the way you chip away at modernity, the way we've ruined such beauty. The northwest depresses me now and your piece reminds me why. Years ago, I hiked that spot, though without photos my memory is very hazy and sometimes I wonder if I really did hike on the boardwalk to the edge of the earth. But i'm nearly positive that i did. I hate that i can't remember my own life anymore.
Right, the hardware store didn't really happen. I don't think. But the hike to the end of the earth did, if I remember correctly. It was only last week. A couple of years back I went hiking with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. At some point we realized we were telling each other stories we'd told before, but it didn't matter because most we didn't remember. :) Yup, lots of it is depressing. Strange that way. The macro landscape of oceans and mountain ranges and volcanos is cool, but most places where people live not.
Okay, I was wondering about the explosion at Ace, and was sure you were telling the truth, but then I'm a bit gullible (okay, I'm a lot gullible), so thank you for clarifying that, Tod. I kept the photo as wallpaper for my PC at home because it was so gorgeous and just loved this story about your drive, the history of the name, Cape Flattery! Loved this piece!
Thanks Nancy. It was a little experiment mixing non fiction and fiction. I often do that, but this one was more extreme. I wonder if I should have announced it, but then the effect would have been gone. But, what is the effect anyway? I don’t think it was deceitful, but I’m not sure what to make of it.
Well, Tod, now that I know you’re capable of combining truth and fiction, I’ll have to be more careful about avoiding these embarrassing intersections. You are assuredly not deceitful—it is I who needs to be a more astute reader!
T, A Spectacular Sadness is a powerful story. The ending violence negates all the beauty and heritage of Cape Flattery and it HURTS to see the ruin man creates.
The child, Lucille has been inoculated with a pen. She's strong cause she knows that a pen is mightier than the sword.
Some trip, Tod, but what the hell happened at the end? Too many cheddar chips (cheddar abuse is known to produce hallucinations)? Or was it all real?
Speaking of the Hole in the Wall, I was revising/ incrementally improving maybe, this passage which speaks of a real, long, tricky fairway into a good harbour:
"All morning long on the flood they'd inched in, heeling under topsails down the fairway between the white swirls of half-drowned reefs and the spray-beaten rocks of the lee shore, a slow business and troublesome, as well I knew. Ships of war, a ninety-four gunner one of them, and frigates and flutes with I reckoned upwards of five hundred troops between their flanks, and convoyed merchantmen, even a couple of slavers. The town was out at the landing-stage and all along the front, and there was cheering, singing, whistles piping, drums beating, woodsmoke in the air and the stomach-hollowing odour of beef sizzling on barbecues. Just then, a drone..."
Sounds all shipshape to me, John. And this sounds like a great sailing yarn, or something. Didn't you recently mention a novel in the works? How goes it? The coast of Maine has many wonderful rocky ledgy passages, much fun to sail through, and it's something I miss. I say, you must be acquainted with "Riddle of the Sands," one of my favorite books. Do you know the Frisian shores? I think that's the right place.
Those sentences look to me (for now) like the opening words of the novel. There have been many others, entire sections of backstory, chapters of mostly useless framing. Stuff actually happening on ships is... very little. But this fleet coming in is the kickstarter. I'll be offering chapters on my (as yet nonexistant substack) fairly soon.
I don't know "Riddle of the Sands", I'll check it out. And all I know of the Frisian shores comes from Google Maps, where the shoals and sandbanks would keep a skipper awake at night.
Yes, that’s exactly what happens. I’d love to hear your take on Riddle. One of the finest sailing yarns ever in my opinion, with some real live backstory too, as you will find out if you track down Erskine Childers.
I'm reading Riddle now. It draws you in despite the shallow snob narrator at the beginning, or perhaps because we get the idea that he's in for a fall. The characters feel real and are well contrasted. The "yachting" is very alive. I haven't got across the Schleswig-Holstein peninsula to the Frisian Islands yet. Have to keep myself from compulsive reading to get other things done.
I don't remember the particulars, but at least some of the story is based on fact, and Childers was involved with Irish Independence and later executed, but you'll have to look it up because it's been a while since I paid attention. But I've read that book at least three times I think.
Tod, wait, this didn't really happen, right? Scared me to death, that explosion in the Ace Hardware. I loved this whole piece, even the scary part. So honest the way you chip away at modernity, the way we've ruined such beauty. The northwest depresses me now and your piece reminds me why. Years ago, I hiked that spot, though without photos my memory is very hazy and sometimes I wonder if I really did hike on the boardwalk to the edge of the earth. But i'm nearly positive that i did. I hate that i can't remember my own life anymore.
Right, the hardware store didn't really happen. I don't think. But the hike to the end of the earth did, if I remember correctly. It was only last week. A couple of years back I went hiking with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. At some point we realized we were telling each other stories we'd told before, but it didn't matter because most we didn't remember. :) Yup, lots of it is depressing. Strange that way. The macro landscape of oceans and mountain ranges and volcanos is cool, but most places where people live not.
Okay, I was wondering about the explosion at Ace, and was sure you were telling the truth, but then I'm a bit gullible (okay, I'm a lot gullible), so thank you for clarifying that, Tod. I kept the photo as wallpaper for my PC at home because it was so gorgeous and just loved this story about your drive, the history of the name, Cape Flattery! Loved this piece!
Thanks Nancy. It was a little experiment mixing non fiction and fiction. I often do that, but this one was more extreme. I wonder if I should have announced it, but then the effect would have been gone. But, what is the effect anyway? I don’t think it was deceitful, but I’m not sure what to make of it.
Well, Tod, now that I know you’re capable of combining truth and fiction, I’ll have to be more careful about avoiding these embarrassing intersections. You are assuredly not deceitful—it is I who needs to be a more astute reader!
I hate that I can't remember what I promised (yesterday) to do today. Does anybody know?
Sorry, no.
T, A Spectacular Sadness is a powerful story. The ending violence negates all the beauty and heritage of Cape Flattery and it HURTS to see the ruin man creates.
The child, Lucille has been inoculated with a pen. She's strong cause she knows that a pen is mightier than the sword.
Some trip, Tod, but what the hell happened at the end? Too many cheddar chips (cheddar abuse is known to produce hallucinations)? Or was it all real?
Speaking of the Hole in the Wall, I was revising/ incrementally improving maybe, this passage which speaks of a real, long, tricky fairway into a good harbour:
"All morning long on the flood they'd inched in, heeling under topsails down the fairway between the white swirls of half-drowned reefs and the spray-beaten rocks of the lee shore, a slow business and troublesome, as well I knew. Ships of war, a ninety-four gunner one of them, and frigates and flutes with I reckoned upwards of five hundred troops between their flanks, and convoyed merchantmen, even a couple of slavers. The town was out at the landing-stage and all along the front, and there was cheering, singing, whistles piping, drums beating, woodsmoke in the air and the stomach-hollowing odour of beef sizzling on barbecues. Just then, a drone..."
(OK, cut any part that seems out of whack).
Sounds all shipshape to me, John. And this sounds like a great sailing yarn, or something. Didn't you recently mention a novel in the works? How goes it? The coast of Maine has many wonderful rocky ledgy passages, much fun to sail through, and it's something I miss. I say, you must be acquainted with "Riddle of the Sands," one of my favorite books. Do you know the Frisian shores? I think that's the right place.
Those sentences look to me (for now) like the opening words of the novel. There have been many others, entire sections of backstory, chapters of mostly useless framing. Stuff actually happening on ships is... very little. But this fleet coming in is the kickstarter. I'll be offering chapters on my (as yet nonexistant substack) fairly soon.
I don't know "Riddle of the Sands", I'll check it out. And all I know of the Frisian shores comes from Google Maps, where the shoals and sandbanks would keep a skipper awake at night.
Yes, that’s exactly what happens. I’d love to hear your take on Riddle. One of the finest sailing yarns ever in my opinion, with some real live backstory too, as you will find out if you track down Erskine Childers.
I'm reading Riddle now. It draws you in despite the shallow snob narrator at the beginning, or perhaps because we get the idea that he's in for a fall. The characters feel real and are well contrasted. The "yachting" is very alive. I haven't got across the Schleswig-Holstein peninsula to the Frisian Islands yet. Have to keep myself from compulsive reading to get other things done.
I don't remember the particulars, but at least some of the story is based on fact, and Childers was involved with Irish Independence and later executed, but you'll have to look it up because it's been a while since I paid attention. But I've read that book at least three times I think.
Amazing piece - CNF gone wild at the end! Those photos - chef's kiss. I love everything about this piece. Yes more please. Thank you/Mahsi.
Look up that last Chinook word for a real historical jolt!
Monica, your comments always send me to the dictionary. Mahsi , back to you.